The Reckoning by John Grisham

Author : John Grisham
Title : The Reckoning
Published : 2018
Publisher : Hodder Paperbacks
Pages : 512
Genre : Historical Fiction

     Pete Banning was Clanton's favorite son, a returning war hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor, and a faithful member of the Methodist Church. Then one cool October morning in 1946. he rose early, drove into town, walked into the church, and calmly shot and killed the Reverend Dexter Bell. As if the murder wasn't shocking enough, it was even more baffling that Pete's only statement about it - to the sheriff, to his defense attorney, to the judge, to his family and friends, and to the people of Clanton - was 'I have nothing to say'.

     What can I really say about John Grisham that has not already been put down on paper? In all honesty, he is an author that usually I will read and greatly enjoy but I don't write reviews for. He is an author who is greatly skilled at what he does when you pick up one of his novels you know exactly what you are going to get. And for me, there is truly nothing wrong with that. This is a key factor in what makes up a lot of our favorite authors. But just every now and again they do something that throws you through a loop and shows you a story that you just weren't expecting from them. 

     This book starts out much like many of his others. We get to see that murder and then head in for a legal battle that will be yet another grand opera of the courtroom. But here is where The Reckoning takes a very big step to the side. This is not so much a book exploring the guilt or innocence of someone moreover it is about how one man came to find himself stood in the church holding a gun at another head. This is the story of how events of such extreme hardship and torture can forge someone into becoming something else entirely. 

     What we learn is that we never really understand anyone completely. We all live in this space of half-truths and misunderstanding. When do we ever really confront anything head-on? This is always how Grisham shows off his skill as a writer. He keeps various strands going whilst never causing me to lose interest in any of them. I kept finding myself wanting more allowing these characters to get under my skin. 

     As per usual this book is by no means small or a quick read. I would go as far as to say this time around that what we get is two books found beneath one cover. It feels like there was a story he wanted to tell but thought maybe his usual readers would be put off by a story that takes place completely in world war two so booked it with something a little more familiar. Ether way for me this was a book that definitely held my attention and gave me a great deal of food for thought. 

     Whilst I would love to say I finished this in one sitting we all know that would be a great big lie. What I can say is that over the course of a few days I did pick it up whenever the opportunity arose.  Despite this being a book of a different ilk to the usual Grisham novel I was still left with a mind racing to try and deal with all the questions raised in me.